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Examples
Synchro Studio 7
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................................. 1
CHAPTER 2 - BASIC ISOLATED INTERSECTIONS ......................................................................................... 2
BASIC TWO-STAGE ISOLATED INTERSECTION ........................................................................................................... 2
Modeling with Synchro ......................................................................................................................................... 3
DUAL RING, EIGHT-PHASE CONTROLLER .................................................................................................................. 7
Modeling with Synchro ......................................................................................................................................... 8
SINGLE RING CONTROLLER WITH MORE THAN FOUR PHASES ................................................................................ 11
Modeling with Synchro ....................................................................................................................................... 11
CHAPTER 3 - CODING INTERCHANGES AND CLOSELY SPACED INTERSECTIONS......................... 14
SETTING UP A TIMING PLAN .................................................................................................................................... 14
SETTING UP LEADING ALTERNATING TIMING .......................................................................................................... 16
CODING OVERLAPS ................................................................................................................................................. 16
DIAMOND WITH LEADING ALTERNATING ................................................................................................................ 17
DIAMOND-LAGGING SIMULTANEOUS ...................................................................................................................... 24
DIAMOND INTERCHANGE WITH FRONTAGE ROADS ................................................................................................. 30
SINGLE POINT URBAN INTERCHANGE ...................................................................................................................... 35
MULTIPLE INTERSECTIONS ON ONE CONTROLLER................................................................................................... 38
GROUP CONTROL EXAMPLE TWO ............................................................................................................................ 43
CHAPTER 4 - SPECIAL CASES ........................................................................................................................... 46
SIX LEG INTERSECTION ........................................................................................................................................... 46
Modeling with Synchro ....................................................................................................................................... 46
CONTROLLER WITH MORE THAN NINE PHASES ....................................................................................................... 49
Modeling with Synchro ....................................................................................................................................... 49
T-INTERSECTION WITH NON-CONFLICTING PEDESTRIAN MOVEMENT..................................................................... 52
Modeling with Synchro ....................................................................................................................................... 53
FLORIDA T-INTERSECTION ...................................................................................................................................... 55
Modeling with Synchro ....................................................................................................................................... 55
ARTERIAL WITH WIDE MEDIAN EXAMPLE .............................................................................................................. 58
FIXED CYCLE COORDINATED SYSTEM..................................................................................................................... 62
TWO WAY TRAFFIC CONTROL................................................................................................................................. 65
Modeling with Synchro ....................................................................................................................................... 65
ROUNDABOUTS (SIMULATED) ................................................................................................................................. 67
Modeling with Synchro ....................................................................................................................................... 67
CHANNELIZED RIGHT TURNS .................................................................................................................................. 69
Modeling with Synchro ....................................................................................................................................... 69
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Synchro Studio 7
Examples
Chapter 1 - Introduction
The following sections include examples on coding Synchro and SimTraffic. They have been designed to start with
basic coding of isolated intersections. A special section on coding interchanges is included for assistance with these
complex types of coding problems. A section of special cases has also been included to provide guidance on some of
Synchro and SimTraffic's more complex features.
Each of the examples includes a sample Synchro file that is included in your Trafficware installation directory when
you install the software. New users are encouraged to attempt the basic coding problems from scratch. In the Basic
Lessons, you will learn how to create the network, input lane geometry, traffic volumes and signal timing, and on
some of the important measures of effectiveness that are included within Synchro.
In the latter examples, special illustrations of how to use the Ring-and-Barrier-Designer, the Cluster Editor, creating
curved links, modeling a roundabout, coding a channelized right turn (pork chop) island and more will be discussed.
Examples
Synchro Studio 7
Phase 2 is the main street eastbound movement for the left, through and right.
Phase 4 is the side street southbound movement for the left through and right.
Phase 6 is the main street westbound movement for the left, through and right.
Phase 8 is the side street northbound movement for the left, through and right.
As the name of the example implies, there are two-stages of operation (east-west and northsouth). However, there are 4 phases that are actually designated within the controller. This is an
example of dual ring control where phase 2/6 (east-west) operate concurrently as well as do
phase 4/8 (north-south).
Synchro Studio 7
Examples
For dual ring controllers, only one phase per ring can be active and the active phase(s) must be on the same side of
the barrier. For the example above, phase 2 and 4 are in ring A and phase 6 and 8 are in ring B. Phase 2 and 6 are in
barrier 1 (left side) and phase 4 and 8 are in barrier 2 (right side). This dictates that phase 2 and 6 can operate
simultaneously and phase 4 and 8 can operate simultaneously. For controller setting, these phases would normally
have dual entry set.
For this example, single ring sequential phasing could also be used. In
that case, phase 1 could operate the eastbound and westbound
movements and phase 2 could operate the northbound and southbound
movements as shown below.
1B. Position the mouse cursor on the MAP view where you want the link to start, and click the left mouse button.
The status indicators, at the lower-right corner of the view show the X and Y coordinates in feet (meters). Note:
To cancel adding a link, press [Esc].
1C. Release the mouse button and move the cursor to the position on the window where you want the link to end.
Click the left mouse button again. Refer to the status bar at the bottom of the window to see the length and
direction of the link
To create the intersection, simply create another link that crosses the link created in steps A through C above. The
intersection will be placed where the links cross.
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Synchro Studio 7
If you do not want an intersection to be placed where the links cross, hold the [Ctrl]
key while drawing the link that crosses. This would be an overpass (or underpass).
The elevation is set in the Node settings for each node on the end of the link.
or the [F3] key. Enter the lane data that is shown below:
See the appropriate LANE settings topics in the Synchro Plus User Guide. The values show in blue are calculated.
Generally, these values are not overridden.
To add lanes, enter the number of lanes for that lane group. For each lane group, enter the number of lanes as a value
from 0 to 8, or select the lane configuration from the drop down list.
For the through lane group, specify whether it shares with left or right traffic by pressing [R] or [L] or by selecting
the appropriate configuration from the list.
Synchro Studio 7
Examples
See the appropriate VOLUME settings topics in the Synchro Plus User Guide.
To edit the phase templates to match local standards, use the command
OptionsEdit-Template-Phases.
For this example, the left and right turn phases are permitted. The controller type is pretimed. Use the default values
for the remaining fields shown on the TIMING settings.
The basic information required to perform an analysis of a basic two-phase intersection is now entered. To set phase
specific parameters, such as the minimum split, yellow and red times, and pedestrian interval settings, see the
PHASING settings, in the Synchro Studio 7 User Guide. For this example, use the default values assigned in the
PHASING options.
Examples
Synchro Studio 7
The v/c Ratio is the v/c ratio using actuated green times and cycle lengths. The v/c ratio indicates the amount of
congestion for each lane group. Any v/c Ratio greater than or equal to 1 indicates that the approach is operating at
above capacity.
The delay is a measure of the total delay, in seconds per vehicle, experienced for the given lane group. Version 6
introduced two new delay measurements. In addition to the traditional Control Delay, Synchro also includes a
Queue Delay. The Total Delay is the combination of the two types of delay.
The LOS is a means of describing the operational efficiency of a given intersection based on the calculated delay.
The range of service quality has been defined in terms of six LOS ranges (A to F). LOS A represents free flowing
conditions with insignificant delays. LOS F represents forced flows (jammed conditions) with excessive delays.
Under LOS F, queues may block upstream intersections.
To quickly print these results, use the command FilePrint-Window.
Synchro Studio 7
Examples
Phase 1 is the main street protected westbound left (dual left turn lane).
Phase 2 is the main street eastbound movement for the through and right.
Phase 3 is the side street protected northbound left.
Phase 4 is the side street southbound movement for the through and right.
Phase 5 is the main street protected eastbound left (dual left turn lane).
Phase 6 is the main street westbound movement for the through and right.
Phase 7 is the side street protected southbound left.
Phase 8 is the side street northbound movement for the left, through and right.
The resulting dual ring structure is as follows:
For dual ring controllers, only one phase per ring can be active and the active phase(s) must be on the same side of
the barrier. Notice that on the right side barrier, phase 4 leads phase 3. This is an example of a lagging left turn
phase. The sequence in which phase will occur in ring A is 1-2-4-3.
Examples
Synchro Studio 7
In the Link Settings, set a speed of 45 mph for both Main Street and 1st Street. Use the defaults for all other fields in
the LINK SETTINGS window.
or the [F3] key. Enter the lane data that is shown below:
INTID EBL EBT EBR WBL WBT WBR NBL NBT NBR SBL SBT SBR
Shared Lanes *
12
12
12
12
12
12
12
12
1
0
12
12
12
250
150
250
150
100
100
Grade (%)
50
300
50
50
350
50
50
300
50
300
144
144
12
* For Shared Lanes, 0 = None, 1 = Left, 2 = Right, 3 = Both (Shared with Through)
To add lanes, enter the number of lanes for that lane group. For each lane group, enter the number of lanes as a value
between 0 and 5, or select the lane configuration from the drop down list.
For the through lane group, specify whether it shares with left or right traffic by pressing [R] or [L] selecting the
appropriate configuration from the list.
Synchro Studio 7
Examples
INTID
EBL
EBT
EBR
WBL
WBT
WBR
NBL
NBT
NBR
SBL
SBT
SBR
500
1500
100
100
500
100
100
200
50
100
200
50
Use the defaults for all other values in the VOLUME settings.
Notice the Turn Type for the left turns is set to Perm, by default. For this example, all the left turns are protected.
Use the Turn Type setting drop down box and set all the left turn phases to Prot. If you prefer, you can set the phase
numbers in the Protected and Permitted Phase rows. The Turn Type and phase number rows will now look like this:
Also, notice the dual ring structure shown above has the northbound left (phase 3) as a lagging left turn. To change
this, set the phase 3 Lead/Lag row to lag. The Lead/Lag row is shown in the TIMING settings and the PHASING
settings.
For this example, we will be analyzing the exiting conditions, therefore it is necessary to enter some additional
information. For this example, we are using Actuated-Coordinated for the Controller Type field. For the Current
Cycle Length, enter a value of 100 seconds.
The Offset Settings will have no effect on the results of this example and do not
need to be modified since this is an isolated intersection. The reason for setting this
up as an Actuated-Coordinated controller would be for future system analysis.
The final step to setting up the timing data is to enter the existing split information. To do this, you can enter the
value in the Total Split row. The Total Splits for this example are shown below:
Examples
Synchro Studio 7
To adjust a split with the mouse, move the mouse to the right side of a yellow + all
red band on the current Splits and Phasing diagram shown at the bottom of the
TIMING settings.
The information required to perform an analysis of a dual ring, eight-phase intersection is now complete.
To set phase specific parameters, such as the minimum split, yellow and red times, and pedestrian interval
settings, see the PHASING settings.
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Examples
Notice the phase number does not identify a single intersection movement, but a group of non-conflicting
movements arranged in an established order of preferred sequence (stages). Each phase is individually timed and can
be skipped if no demand is present for it. For the dual ring controller in the previous example, phase 1 identified the
westbound left turn movement. For this single ring example, phase 1 identifies the movement of the westbound and
eastbound left turns followed by phases 2 through 6, sequentially.
or the [F5]
Select the intersection and switch to the TIMING settings by pressing the TIMING settings button
key. Then activate the Ring-and-Barrier-Designer by selecting Options> Ring-and-Barrier-Designer. Within the
Ring-and-Barrier-Designer, select the option Non Standard Phasing from the Sequential Phasing box.
In the Ring-and-Barrier-Designer cells, enter the phases 1 through 6 sequentially in ring A as shown below:
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Examples
Synchro Studio 7
Select [OK].
Still within the TIMING settings [F5], proceed to set up the single ring timing. Keeping the single ring, six-stage
structure defined above in mind, the next step is to enter the phase numbers for the individual movements. Starting
in the Protected Phases row, enter the phase number(s) for the individual movements. For instance, the eastbound
left occurs as a protected left phase during phase 1 and also continues as a protected left during phase 2. To code
this, enter a 1 in the Protected Phases row for the EBL, then insert a space [space bar] and enter a 2. Notice the Turn
Type for the EBL automatically become Prot. Continuing with the EBT, enter a 2 and a 3 separated with a space in
the Protected Phases row. This codes the EBT movement to operate with phase 2 and 3. Continue entering the
appropriate phases for the remaining movements. The resulting rows will appear as follows:
The Detector Phases will be the first phase entered in the Protected Phases row. If no protected phases are entered, it
will be the first phase entered in the Permitted Phases row.
As in the previous example, set the Controller Type to Actuated-Coordinated and the Current Cycle Length to 100
seconds.
The final step to setting up the timing data is to enter the split information. To do this, you can enter the
value in the Total Split row. The Total Splits for this example are shown in the Total Split row in the above
graphic. The Total Split is the sum of all phases entered for the movement.
To adjust a split with the mouse, move the mouse to the right side of a yellow + all
red band on the current Splits and Phasing diagram shown at the bottom of the
TIMING settings.
The information required to perform an analysis of a single ring, six-phase intersection is now complete. To set
phase specific parameters, such as the minimum split, yellow and red times, and pedestrian interval settings, see the
PHASING settings.
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Synchro Studio 7
Examples
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Examples
Synchro Studio 7
Step 1
Enter lane and volume data. See the LANE settings and the VOLUME settings.
Step 2
Select a controller scheme. Choose between Local and Group control, and between fixed and floating cycle length.
Step 3
Set up phasing for each intersection using Local Control. Even if Group control will be used, to start assume Local
control.
Each intersection should use sequential phasing from a single ring. In most cases one intersection will use phases 12-3-4, and the other intersection will use phases 5-6-7-8. If there is a third or fourth intersection in the group, they
can use additional phases 9-10-11-12 for example.
If necessary, use the Ring-and-Barrier-Designer to set up a phase sequences for each intersection.
If the intersections were previously set up under Group Control, use the Cluster Editor to return them to Local
control. All intersections must be set up using Local Control to perform Cycle Length, Offset, and Phase Sequence
Optimizations.
If this interchange has a movement with a high right turn volume, consider setting up a right turn phase as suggested
in the topic Diamond with Heavy Right Turns.
Do not include extra phases such as phases 12 and 16 as shown in the Leading Alternating plan. These will be added
later. If extra phases are part of the timing plan, remove them to aid in the optimization.
Make sure that phases are set up with Allow Lead/Lag Optimize set to 'Yes'. The Optimization will then be able to
consider both leading and lagging alternatives.
Step 4
Optimize the network using the OptimizeNetwork-Cycle-Length command then use the OptimizeNetworkOffsets command.
When choosing a cycle length pay careful attention to the queuing penalty MOE. This value is critical within an
interchange
If using Local control, you are now finished.
If using Group Control, continue with steps 5 to 8.
Step 5
Determine the phase sequence to use.
Record the Phasing Order. Visit the TIMING settings for each intersection and write down the phase sequence.
Step 6
Determine the barrier change point(s). Visit the TIME-SPACE DIAGRAM window with [Max] option and observe
the traffic band.
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Synchro Studio 7
Examples
The phase numbers listed here assume that you are using the same phase numbers as the examples.
If the internal left turn phases (1 and 5) are leading, and the through phases (2 and 6) do not coincide, the optimizer
has automatically selected Leading Alternating Timing, see Setting up Leading Alternating Timing for special
instructions.
Find a phase from each intersection that starts at about the same time. These phases will be listed first in the barrier
sequence. Normally, the beginning of phases 4 and/or 8 make a good time to start the barrier. When looking at a
time space diagram for the cross street, the red section indicates phases 4 and 8, the green sections indicates phases 2
and 6, and the hatched section represents phases 1 and 5.
If there are no pair of phases from each intersection that change within a few seconds of each other, it may be
necessary to create a supplementary phase. This phase is placed at the beginning of the barrier to insure the internal
offsets make good coordination. Normally this supplementary phase is equal to the travel time between
intersections. The Leading Alternating timing plan uses two supplementary phases.
Step 7
Go to Cluster Editor. Attach the intersections to one controller.
Step 8
Go to the Ring-and-Barrier-Designer. Enter the phasing sequence determined in Step 6.
Step 9
Optimize the Splits and or Cycle Length.
If any movement is served by two or more phases, insure the Detector Phases are set correctly.
Go to the PHASING settings. Make sure phases are not being skipped or unless they are low volume. If a phase is
being skipped, check the coding of the Detector Phases. It may be necessary in some cases to set the Recall to
Minimum.
Step 10
Check queue lengths of internal movements for blocking problems. The queue lengths can be seen in the TIMING
settings and in the Queue report. It is also helpful to observe queues using a microscopic simulation such as
SimTraffic. It may not be possible to eliminate blocking queues 100%, but it should be possible to minimize their
duration. If you encounter unacceptable internal queues, it may be necessary to consider an alternative timing plan.
Be sure to check the intersection coding, the recall or detector phases may need adjusting. SimTraffic can be used to
observe operation and to insure that auxiliary phases are being serviced when appropriate.
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Examples
Synchro Studio 7
Go to the TIMING settings for both intersections. For the off ramp movements 4 and 8, change the phases to 4+12
and 8+16 (the phases are separated by a space).
For the off ramp movements 4 and 8, insure the Detector Phases are 4+12 or 8+16. Be sure that 4 and 8 are listed
first.
Set the Minimum Split and the Maximum Split for phases 12 and 16 as the travel time between the intersections.
Set Recall for phases 1, 5, 12 and 16 to Minimum.
Coding Overlaps
This section discusses special considerations for any movement served by two or more phases, also called an
overlap.
The listed phases will become the Detector Phases. The phase listed first will be used for split optimization.
For the heavy right turn example, the supplementary phase 7 should be listed before 8 so the split optimization for
this movement is phase 7. This will keep the optimized split for phase 8 short.
Pay careful attention to Detector Phases. They are key to controlling split optimization, as well as skipping and
gapping behavior with the actuated green times and in SimTraffic.
Normally the internal through movements will have overlaps of 1+2 and 5+6. Normally the first phase in the
sequence should be the first Detector Phase listed. With a leading left 1, phase 1 is entered first (1, 2), with a lagging
left 1, phase 2 is entered first (2, 1).
It may be necessary to code some phases with Minimum Recall to prevent skipping. An actual controller allows
complex handling of detector calls that depend on the current phase settings. For example, the detectors for phase 8
can be programmed to call phase 2, only while phase 8 is green. If you observe phase skips in the PHASING
settings or SimTraffic, it may be necessary to set the recall for some phases to Minimum. Pay close attention to
phases 1, 2, 5, 6, and any auxiliary phases.
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Synchro Studio 7
Examples
In the LINK SETTINGS window, set a speed of 40 mph for the Main Street and 30 mph for the ramps. Use the
defaults for all other fields in the LINK SETTINGS window.
or the [F3] key. Enter the lane data that is shown below:
INTID EBL EBT EBR WBL WBT WBR NBL NBT NBR SBL SBT SBR
Shared Lanes *
12
12
Grade (%)
250
12
12
12
150
150
50
12
12
12
12
12
12
12
150
1
0
10
250
0
50
50
50
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Examples
Synchro Studio 7
INTID EBL EBT EBR WBL WBT WBR NBL NBT NBR SBL SBT SBR
Trailing Detector (ft)
244
244
Shared Lanes *
12
12
12
12
12
12
12
12
12
12
12
150
150
150
Grade (%)
12
50
250
250
10
50
50
50
244
244
* For Shared Lanes, 0 = None, 1 = Left, 2 = Right, 3 = Both (Shared with Through)
Next, switch to the VOLUME settings by pressing the Volume View button
or by pressing [F4]. At each
ramp, enter the volumes as shown in the map figure at the start of this example or see the table below. Use the
default values for Conflicting Peds, Peak Hour Factor, Growth Factor, Heavy Vehicles, Bus Blockages and Adj
Parking Lane.
INTID EBL EBT EBR
SBL SBT
SBR
100
800
100
400 43
300
900
200
200 120
100
10
20
200
Since this is an example of two closely spaced intersections, it is important to specify the origin and destination of
the ramp left turns. This is done to prevent vehicles from unrealistically turning left twice (left from the ramp and
then immediately left again back onto the next ramp).
To do this, use the LINK ORIGIN-DESTINATION VOLUME settings. This window displays Movement
Weighting Factors that control how volume is allocated between input and output volumes.
The LINK ORIGIN-DESTINATION VOLUME settings is available from the VOLUME settings and the LINK
SETTINGS window. For this example, switch to the MAP view by pressing the MAP view button
or by
pressing [F2]. To activate the LINK ORIGIN-DESTINATION VOLUME settings, double click on the Main Street
for the westbound
link between the NB and SB ramps, then select the Link O-D Volumes button
direction. The Link O-D Volumes button for the westbound direction appears with a blue caption when all
Movement Weighting Factors are 1. The LINK ORIGIN-DESTINATION VOLUME settings will appear as shown
below.
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Examples
Notice that of the 109 vehicles turning left from the NB Ramp, 36 of these will immediately make another left turn
onto the SB Ramp by default calculation. To modify this, enter a reasonable weight factor in the From NBL Weight
row for the WBL column (the cell under the 36). For this example, enter a weight value of 0.10. This will change the
value of 36 vehicles making the immediate left turn to a value of 9 vehicles. No other values within this window
need to be modified. Synchro will automatically update the other fields in this window.
Select [Close].
Do the same for the EB direction by entering a 0.05 in the From SBL Weight row for the EBL column (the cell
under the 217). This will change the value of 217 to 63.
If one or more Movement Weighting factors have been changed, the Link O-D Volumes button appears with a red
caption.
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Notice that the WBT phase is also active during the WBL phase (phase 1). Therefore, enter a 2 and a 1 separated by
a space in the Protected Phases row for the WBT movement. Notice that the 2 was entered first so Synchro uses this
in the split optimization. The appropriate Detector Phases are updated automatically according to the input for the
Phases rows.
The Local timing plan for the NB ramp is as follows:
Even though we know from the name of this example the ultimate timing plan that will be selected, it is important to
NOT include the extra phase 12 and 16 as shown in the Leading Alternating plan. These will be added later as
necessary based on the optimization step.
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Synchro Studio 7
Examples
Notice that phase 1 and 5 are leading, and phase 2 and 6 DO NOT coincide. This would suggest a Leading
Alternating Timing plan. Before setting up the leading alternating timing plan, first perform step 7, attaching the
intersections
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Synchro Studio 7
Notice that the color for node #2 (Main Street and NB Ramp) has changed. This color will be used in the TIMING
and PHASING settingss to clearly define which intersection data is being modified.
Select [OK].
Notice that the south bound and northbound ramp movements are allowed to cross the barrier by reassigning their
phase number (4+12, 8+16). For instance, The west ramp southbound movements are allowed to operate within the
right barrier as phase 4. It is then allowed to cross into the left side barrier and continue to operate as phase 12.
To set up this structure, switch to the PHASING settings or TIMING settings and activate the Ring-and-BarrierDesigner by selecting the [Options] button and then Ring-and-Barrier-Designer. Within the Ring-and-BarrierDesigner, select the button [Diamond 4].
The Ring-and-Barrier-Designer will automatically appear as shown below:
Select [OK].
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Switch back to the TIMING settings [F5], and proceed to set up the dual ring timing.
For the off ramp movements, change the southbound phase 4 to phase 4+12 and phase 8 to 8+16 (separate the phase
numbers with a space. The resulting rows are shown below.
Main St & SB Ramp:
In the PHASING settings, insure that no Pedestrian Phase is set for phase 12 and 16 and set the Minimum Split and
the Maximum Split as the travel time between the intersections. For this example, it is approximately 8 seconds. Set
the Recall for phases 1, 5, 12 and 16 to Minimum.
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Diamond-Lagging Simultaneous
The following example will show how to code a diamond interchange with lagging simultaneous operation. For
details on coding diamond interchanges, see the topic on Setting up a Timing Plan in this chapter. The examples
presented here will closely follow the steps identified in these topics. Notice that if you follow the steps correctly,
you do not know with certainty the actual best operation for the interchange from the onset. That is, whether to use
leading alternating, lagging simultaneous or something else.
Filename: Diamond Lag Lag.syn
In the LINK SETTINGS window, set a speed of 40 mph for the Main Street and 45 mph for the ramps. Use the
defaults for all other fields in the LINK SETTINGS window.
Notice that the ramps have a bend node (nodes 5 and 8) on the downstream portion of the ramps. This is a taper
point where the ramp changes from 2 lanes to 1. To create this taper, perform the steps identified in the figure shown
above. This is performed after entering the basic lane information.
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Repeat the same steps for the intersection of Main Street & NB Ramp, entering the following lane data:
This is a special example of how turning lanes can continue through a downstream node. Consider the figure below
for this example:
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Synchro Studio 7
The EB left at node 2 (NB Ramp) has 2 lanes with one 100 storage lane (lane 5 shown in the figure). The outside
left lane (lane 4) begins 250 west of node 1 (SB Ramp). To code this at node 2 for the EBL column, enter 2 for
Lanes and Sharing, 100 for Storage Length and 1 for Storage Lanes. Then, switch to node 1 for the EBL column and
enter 250 for Storage Length and 1 for Storage Lanes. Do the same for the WB direction.
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phasing from a single ring. For this example, Main Street & SB ramp will use phases 1-2-4 and Main Street & NB
ramp will use phases 5-6-8. To do this, switch to the Ring-and-Barrier-Designer for each intersection. For the SB
Ramp, enter 4-2-1 in ring A of barrier 1. For the NB Ramp, enter 8-6-5 in ring B of barrier 1.
For this example, use an actuated coordinated controller and use the east/west direction as the offset reference phase.
The Local timing information for the SB ramp is as follows:
Notice that the WBT phase is also active during the WBL phase (phase 1). Therefore, enter a 2 and a 1 separated by
a space in the Protected Phases row for the WBT movement. Notice that the 2 is entered first so Synchro uses this in
the split optimization. The appropriate Detector Phases are updated automatically according to the input for the
Phases rows.
The Local timing plan for the NB ramp is as follows:
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Notice that phase 1 and 5 are lagging, and phase 2 and 6 DO coincide (within 2 seconds). This would suggest a
Lagging Simultaneous Timing plan.
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For details on coding diamond interchanges, see the topic on Setting up a Timing Plan in this chapter. The examples
presented here will closely follow the steps identified in these topics. Notice that if you follow the steps correctly,
you do not know with certainty the actual best operation for the interchange from the onset.
Filename: Diamond w Front Roads.syn
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In the LINK SETTINGS window, set the speeds as shown in the figure above. Use the defaults for all other link
settings.
Node EBL
EBT
EBR
100
NBR SBL
1
SBT SBR
2
250
50
250
50
50
244
244
100
50
250
250
50
50
244
244
The Frontage Road and Ramp merge points (nodes 9, 11, 13 and 15) are unsignalized intersections without any turn
bays or detectors.
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For this example, we will use the default values determined within the LINK ORIGIN-DESTINATION VOLUME
settings. This is appropriate since U-turn movements will be more apparent in this example. An example would be a
vehicle traveling on the SB off ramp, turning left (EB) onto Main Street and turning left again to proceed north on
the NB Frontage Road.
Notice that the WBT phase is also active during the WBL phase (phase 1). Therefore, enter a 2 and a 1 separated by
a space in the Protected Phases row for the WBT movement. Phase 2 is entered first so Synchro uses this in the split
optimization. The appropriate Detector Phases are updated automatically according to the input for the Phases rows.
The Local timing plan for the NB Frontage Road is as follows:
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Notice, Synchro has recommended that phase 2 leads phase 1 (lagging left).
The resulting phase sequence for Main St & AB Frontage Road (node #2) is as follows:
Now, Synchro has recommended that phase 5 leads phase 6 (leading left)
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Phase 1 is lagging, phase 5 is leading, and phase 2 and 6 DO coincide (within 2 second). This would suggest a LagLead Timing plan.
Phase 1 is still lagging phase 2 and phase 5 is still leading phase 6 (even though phase 5 appears at the end of the
ring).
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In the LINK SETTINGS window, set the speeds as shown in the figure above. Set the turning speed for all left turns
at node 1 to 25 mph (see the topic on Turning Speed in the LANE settings). Also, one freeway merge is modeled in
this example at node 6.
Be sure to follow the instruction on how to code a freeway merge in the topic on Freeway Links.
or
The EB left turn bay at node 1 extends 250' beyond node 2 and the WB left turn bay extends 250 beyond node 3. All
other intersections (nodes 4, 5, 6, 11, and 12) are unsignalized intersections. Node 5 and Node 11 have 200' left turn
bays. The example Diamond-Lagging Simultaneous illustrates how to code a turn bay that extends through an
upstream node.
800
1000
800
700
1800 500
1300
1700
1500 1200
600
1000
600
1200
800
700
6
11
700
1000
3000
600
12
2000
600
500
800
A SPUI will have much higher lost times compared to a typical intersection due to the large paths through the
intersection. An urban interchange typically has left turn paths through the intersection of 160 feet or more. In this
example, the lost time for the left should be set to 8 seconds and 6 seconds for the through movements at node 1. For
node 2 and 3, a lost time of 4 seconds can be used for all movements since these intersection operate like a typical
intersection.
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For this example, node 1, 2 and 3 are signalized. It is assumed that group control (one controller) is used for these
intersections.
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There are many potential timing plans that could be used for such an intersection; the limitation may be due to
controller features or other physical limitations. In general, setting up a timing plan for a dogleg intersection is
similar to setting up a timing plan for a diamond interchange. See the topic on Setting up a Timing Plan in the
Diamond Interchange examples for the steps that should be used to set up a timing plan with Synchro.
Filename: 2 Inter One Controller.syn
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The distance between 1st Street and 2nd Street is 320 feet.
Use the node numbers shown above.
Use the defaults for all the fields in the LINK SETTINGS window.
Repeat the same steps for the intersection of Main Street & 2nd Street, entering the following lane and volume data:
To add more detailed information, such as turn bay lengths and peak hour factors, switch to the LANE settings
and/or the VOLUME settings.
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Notice that the WBT phase is also active during the WBL phase (phase 1). Therefore, enter a 2 and a 1 separated by
a space in the Protected Phases row for the WBT movement. Phase 2 is entered first so Synchro uses this in the split
optimization. The appropriate Detector Phases are updated automatically according to the input for the Phases rows.
The WBL movement is protected and permitted, therefore, the Permitted Phases row for the WBL should be a 1 and
a 2 (separated with a space). The NBR overlaps with the WBL, therefore a 1 should be entered in the Protected
Phases row for the NBR.
The Local timing plan for the 2nd Street is as follows:
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Notice that phase 1 is leading, phase 5 is lagging, and phase 2 and 6 DO coincide (within 6 seconds). This would
suggest a Lead-Lag Timing plan.
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Phase 1 is still leading phase 2 and phase 5 is still lagging phase 6 (even though phase 1 appears at the end of the
ring)
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Use the defaults for the values in the LINK SETTINGS window.
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Node NBL NBT NBR SBL SBT SBR EBL EBT EBR WBL WBT WBR
Lanes and Sharing
250
250
100
100
200
250
200
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
100
100
200
250
200
250
200
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
Next, switch to the VOLUME settings by pressing the Volume View button
or by pressing [F4]. At each
intersection, enter the volumes as shown in map figure at the start of this example. Use the default values for
Conflicting Peds, Peak Hour Factor, Growth Factor, Heavy Vehicles, Bus Blockages and Adj Parking Lane.
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Shown at the bottom of the figure is the dual ring phase structure. This first step is to switch to the Ringand-Barrier-Designer and enter the phases as shown below in the above graphic.
Switch to the TIMING settings [F5] for node 1 to proceed with coding the example. For this example, set the
Controller Type to Actuated-Coordinated.
Enter the appropriate phase numbers in the Protected Phases and Permitted Phases rows. All left turn movements are
either Split or Protected.
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When drawing links, the movement headings are automatically labeled. All available turn movements can be
modeled for the above example. Columns are added in the data entry screens to model "hard" and "soft" left and
right turn movements when you add links. In addition, you can model U-turn movements (to activate U-turns, use
the keystrokes [Ctrl]+U.) In previous versions of Synchro, each approach was limited to 3 turning movements and in
some cases to 2 turning movements.
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You can name the streets as show above. E/W Street is 45 MPH and N/S and Diag. Street are both 40 MPH. Use the
defaults for all other fields in the LINK SETTINGS window.
Use the defaults for Ideal Saturated Flow, Lane Width, Grade, Area Type, Leading Detector and Trailing
Detector.
Storage Length: Set the EBL and WBL to 250', all other lefts to 200'. Set the EBR and WBR to 150', all
other rights leave as zero (no exclusive lane exists).
Examples
Synchro Studio 7
Total Lost Time: In this case, the intersection created with six legs will be quite wide. This necessitates
longer yellow and all-red periods. Therefore, the lost time will be increased. It is assumed a field study
indicates that the Total Lost Time for the east-west is 5.5 seconds and 5.0 seconds for all other directions.
Turning Speed: This setting is only used by simulation. However, since the angle for some turns is sharp
and others are less then 90 degrees, these values should be updated. For all hard lefts, use 15 mph, 30 mph
for soft lefts, 9 mph for hard rights and 25 mph for soft rights.
Right Turn Channelized: For the EBR and WBR, set this field to 'Yield'. This will channelize the right turn
and it will operate under yield control.
Curb Radius, Add Lanes: Set the EBR and WBR Curb Radius to 20' and leave the Add Lanes as zero (0).
Change to the VOLUME settings and enter the hourly volumes shown above. Use defaults for all other values in the
VOLUME settings.
To continue coding the required timing information for this intersection, see the following example on a Controller
with More Than Nine Phases.
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The phases in barrier 1 are the E/W Street movements, the phases in barrier 2 are the N/S Street movements, and the
phases in barrier 3 are the Diagonal Street movements. All left turn phases are protected only movements.
Keep in mind that the operation above has three distinct barriers. In other words, phases in barrier 1 cannot operate
with phases in barrier 2 or 3, phases in barrier 2 cannot operate with phases in barriers 1 or 3 and phases in barrier 3
cannot operate with phases in barrier 1 or 2. When all possible movement are allowed, as in the above example,
signal operations become very inefficient due to the amount of time required to service all of the phases.
Next, enter the appropriate timing data. From the MAP view, click on the intersection E/W St. & Diag. St. and
activate the TIMING settings by pressing the TIMING settings button
the Controller Type to Actuated-Uncoordinated.
The next step is to enter the phase numbers for the individual movements. Starting in the Protected Phases row, enter
the phase number(s) for the individual movements. For instance, the eastbound left movements (hard and soft lefts)
operate as protected only lefts during phase 5. To code this, enter a 5 in the Protected Phases row for the EBL2 and
EBL movements. The value in Turn Type will automatically update to Prot.
Continue entering the appropriate phases for the remaining movements. The resulting rows will appear as follows:
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Minimum Initial: Use a minimum initial of 10 seconds for all through phases and 4 seconds for all left turn
phases.
Yellow and All-Red: Due to the width of the intersection, longer clearance periods are necessary. For all
east-west directions, use 4.5 seconds of Yellow and 2.0 seconds of All-Red. Use 4.0 seconds of Yellow and
2.0
Walk and FDW: Pedestrians are allowed to cross all legs. For all even phases, use a Walk of 5.0 seconds.
For phase 4 and 8 (SBT and NBT) use a FDW of 18 seconds. Use 11 seconds of FDW for all other phases.
Ped Calls: Input ten (10) Pedestrian Calls for each pedestrian phase (even phases).
Use the defaults for all other settings. The Minimum Split will be automatically calculated as the minimum
of the Walk + FDW + YAR or the Minimum Initial + YAR. The cycle and splits will be determined in the
next step.
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The figure below illustrates a single-ring phasing for a T-intersection with non-conflicting pedestrian phasing
allowed with the main street left.
Phase 1 is the north/south pedestrian movement on the west leg. This phase operates in the presence of a north/south
pedestrian call and is skipped in the absence of a pedestrian call.
Phase 5 is the westbound left turn (protected) with an overlapping northbound right turn. This phase operates in the
presence of a westbound left turn call and is skipped in the absence of a westbound left.
Phase 2 is the westbound through phase. It is used as a "filler" phase in the presence of an eastbound left turn and
the absence of a pedestrian call for northbound (phase 1).
Phase 3 is the eastbound/westbound through movement and the east/west pedestrian movement. It is called by the
presence of an eastbound or westbound through vehicle or by a pedestrian actuation. This phase can be extended by
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the eastbound or westbound through movements. The eastbound right turn movement must yield to the pedestrian
movement.
Phase 4 is the northbound left and right movements and is called and extended by the presence of a northbound
vehicle. No pedestrian movements are allowed during this phase.
Use the defaults for all of the fields in the LINK SETTINGS window.
To add more detailed information, such as turn bay lengths and peak hour factors, switch to the LANE settings
and/or the VOLUME settings.
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The final step to setting up the timing data is to enter the split information. To do this, you can enter the value in the
Total Split row. The Total Splits for this example are shown in the Total Split row in the above graphic. The Current
Cycle Length is 100 seconds
To adjust a split with the mouse, move the mouse to the right side of a
yellow + all red band on the current Splits and Phasing diagram shown at
the bottom of the TIMING settings.
The information required to perform an analysis of a T-intersection with non-conflicting pedestrians is now
complete. To set phase specific parameters, such as the minimum split, yellow and red times, and pedestrian interval
settings, see the PHASING settings.
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Florida T-Intersection
The Florida T-Intersection is a special case where one of the main street through movements is allowed to operate
continuously, even with the T-intersection left turn movement. Consider the following example:
In this case, the EBT movement is allowed to operate continuously, even during the SBL movement. The exception
would be when a north-south pedestrian movement is allowed.
In this example, the SBL and EBT movements flow into there own lanes on the downstream (receiving) link. Often
the movements are separated with a median and they are allowed to merge at some distance downstream.
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Open the LINK SETTINGS window for the east leg. For the EB direction, the travel lanes should be changed to '2'.
Use the defaults for the remainder of the link settings.
To add more detailed information, such as turn bay lengths and peak hour factors, switch to the LANE settings
and/or the VOLUME settings. For this example, make the EBL turn bay 500' and the SBR turn bay 250'. Use
defaults for all other values in the LANE settings and VOLUME settings.
Starting in the Protected Phases row, enter the phase number(s) for the individual movements as indicated in the
figure above. The items to note in this example are:
The EBT uses phase 2 and phase 8. Phase 2 is entered in the Protected Phases row and phase 8 is entered in
the Permitted Phases row. This indicates that the EBT should flow into its own lane on the downstream
link. For instance, the EBT movement should flow into the curb lane of the receiving link and the SBL
should flow into the median lane.
Phase 7 is the pedestrian phase. Synchro and SimTraffic assume dual entry, therefore phase 8 will appear
with phase 4 in the absence of phase 7 pedestrian calls.
The listed phases will become the Detector Phases. The phase listed first will be used for split optimization.
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Next, switch to the PHASING settings. Set the Pedestrian Phase to 'Yes' for phase 7 and for phase 6. Use a Walk
Time of 5 seconds, a Flash Dont Walk of 11 seconds and set the Pedestrian Calls to 15. Use the default values for
all other parameters in the PHASING settings.
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Notice that left turns are not allowed off of the mainline onto the side street or off of the side street onto the main
line. To do this, the vehicles must first turn right and then make a U-turn at the median break some distance from the
intersection (660 feet in this example).
This U-turn movement can either be signalized or unsignalized. For this example, it is assumed that the U-turn
movements are signalized. This creates four signalized intersections that may be operated with one controller.
Filename: Mich Left.syn
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In the LINK SETTINGS window, set a speed of 55 mph for Main N and Main S, 40 mph for the Side Street and 30
mph for the U-Turn movements. Use the defaults for all other fields in the LINK SETTINGS window.
or the [F3] key. Enter the following lane data for the network (use the defaults for values not shown):
Node
WBL
WBT
100
EBL
EBT
EBR
WBR
NBL
NBT
NBR
SBL
SBT
200
SBR
1
250
475
50
50
250
50
234
475
50
234
475
50
234
0
1
200
250
1
475
50
250
50
50
234
100
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Next, switch to the VOLUME settings by pressing the Volume View button
or by pressing [F4]. At
each intersection, enter the volumes as shown in map figure at the start of this example. Use the default
values for Conflicting Peds, Growth Factor, Heavy Vehicles, Bus Blockages and Adj Parking Lane. Use a
Peak Hour Factor of 1.0.
Phase 2/6: Node 5 EBT (phase 2) and Node 2 WBT (Phase 6). Set the Recall to None and the Minimum Initial to 15
seconds. Use defaults for other values.
Phase 4: Will be used as node 2 NBT and Node 5 SBT. These are the internal through movements.
Phase 8: Will be used as node 2 SBT and Node 5 NBT. These are the external movements. Set the All-Red Time to
6 seconds. Notice that this will allow the external movements to terminate prior to the internal movements (phase 4).
This will ensure that the space in the median is cleared out.
Phase 1: Node 3 and node 4 EBT and WBT. This phase is active when phase 2/6 begin.
Phase 5: Node 3 and node 4 U-turn movement begins. Phase 5 is 8 seconds long. This is the time when the EBT and
WBT at the U-turn terminates and phase 2/6 continue to stay green
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Phase 3: Node 3 and node 4 U-turn movement. This is another phase to allow the U-turn to cross into barrier 2.
Phase 7: Node 3 and node 4 EBT and WBT begins. This phase is 8 seconds long.
Node 1 and 6 should be set-up as unsignalized intersections with Free set for Sign Control.
With the RB set up for each intersection, switch to the TIMING settings and enter the appropriate Protected Phases
and Permitted Phases as shown below.
The Vehicle Extension and Minimum Gap for the East-West movements should be set to 3.2 seconds. This is 111%
of the travel time required to get from the last extension detector to the stop bar. All Pedestrian Phases should be set
to No. Use defaults for all other values.
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. Synchro has
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Use a cycle length range from 80 to 150 with 10 second increments. For Allow Uncoordinated, select Never (0)
since this step has already been performed in Step 4A. Do not allow half cycles. Do not preserve files for each cycle
length. Use an Extensive offset optimization (a more detail offset optimization will be performed in step 4C) and set
the Scope to Entire Network. Select [Manual] to begin the cycle length optimization. By using the manual option,
Synchro will display a table with the PI for each cycle length evaluated.
As Synchro is optimizing, the 'Optimizing Cycle Length status box will be displayed.
Upon completion of this process, the SELECT CYCLE LENGTHS window will appear.
In this example, a cycle length of 110 gives the smallest (best) Performance Index (PI). Press [OK] to accept the
110-second cycle length for the intersections in the system.
To check the cycle length with a smaller increment, now perform the above procedure with a cycle length increment
of 5 seconds with a minimum cycle of 105 and a maximum of 115. This time also use the Preserve Files for Each
Cycle Length option. This still results in a cycle length of 110 seconds.
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For this example, use the existing splits, allow lead/lag optimize, use the Best Timing Plans option and set the
Scope to Entire Network.
This completes the optimization process of a network with fixed cycle lengths.
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The distance between Dummy Signal 1 and Dummy Signal 2 is 1070 feet. Use the default setting in the LINK
SETTINGS window for each of the links. Use the node numbers shown in the graphic above.
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Use an All-Red time of 40 seconds for both phase 1 and 2. This is the clearance time between the two
dummy intersections. This will allow vehicles to clear the space between the ends of the bridge.
Switch to the PHASING settings. Set the Pedestrian Phase to 'No' for phase 1 and 2.
If desired, set the Recall Mode to 'min' for one or more of the phases. This will ensure that one phase will
be recalled without the presence of a vehicle demand. If no phase is placed on recall, the signal will rest in
red without vehicle demand. For this example, phase 2 is placed on minimum recall.
Now you can simulate this example by clicking on the SimTraffic Animation button or press [Ctrl]+[G] to start
SimTraffic. You will notice that only one direction of traffic is allowed to operate at one time.
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Roundabouts (Simulated)
SimTraffic now has the capability to model roundabouts. In this example, the curved link example will be used to
create a multi-lane roundabout.
This is an extension of the previous curved link example. Begin with the file that was created in this previous
example, or open the file Curved Link.syn. Be sure to save the curved link file with a new name before modifying.
The distance between the ramps is 800 feet. Use the default setting in the LINK SETTINGS window for each of the
links.
Use an Inside Radius of 28', an Outside Radius of 40', set the Number (#) of Lanes to 1 and leave the Speed Limit as
18 mph. The Inside Color can be changed by clicking on the colored circle if desired.
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Notice that only 1 lane for the approach is added and shared turn
movements are not shown in the Lanes and Sharing row. If volumes are
entered, then Synchro and SimTraffic will assume that the traffic is shared
with the lane. It may be easier to understand if coded this way since the
turns are not 'traditional' turns.
Select the NB Ramp & Main Street and set this to a Roundabout within the TIMING settings/Signing Window.
Enter the lane, volume and signing data shown below.
Use an Inside Radius of 30', an Outside Radius of 54', set the Number (#) of Lanes to 2 and leave the Speed Limit as
18 mph. The Inside Color can be changed by clicking on the colored circle if desired. In addition, the WB and SB
approaches have a Two Lane Exit. Refer to the SimTraffic Help file for an example on how this will act in the
simulation (or simulate the sample file to see for yourself).
From the MAP view, double click on the link to the north of the NB ramp. Enter 2 for the NB Travel Lanes. Do the
same for the EB link to the east of this intersection.
Now you can simulate this example by clicking on the SimTraffic Animation button or press [Ctrl]+[G] to start
SimTraffic.
In addition:
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If multiple runs in SimTraffic are desired, this can now be done with the Record Multiple Runs option.
The SimTraffic reports, check the Multiple Runs box in the SELECT REPORTS window and you will have
the option to average multiple history files.
Synchro Studio 7
Examples
The EBR is an example of an exclusive channelized right lane where a SB receiving lane is added. In Synchro, this
will be treated as a free flow movement with 100% green time.
The WBR is an example of an exclusive right that directly merges into the NB lanes. The WBR vehicles will yield
to the NB vehicles.
The NBR shared right becomes an exclusive add lane in the EB direction. The lane will taper back to two lanes at
the downstream bend node.
The SBR illustrates a shared right that is divided by an island (small) but is under signal control. There is not a
downstream add lane.
The data in the VOLUME settings does not need to be updated.
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70
If multiple runs in SimTraffic are desired, this can now be done with the Record Multiple Runs option.
The SimTraffic reports, check the Multiple Runs box in the SELECT REPORTS window and you will have
the option to average multiple history files.